Speed-indicator for airships



N. B. CONVERSE.

SPEED INDICATOR FOR AIRSHIPS.

A PLICATION FILED SEPT-11,1918. 1,334,229. Patented Ma17.16,1920

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

- INVENTOR, WITNESSES: f flea/tan flfonvgrse' 6% fim 44. 54/ 94,; 2% ATTORNEY N. B. CONVERSE.

SPEED INDICATOR FOR AIRSHIPS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. I I, I9I8- 1,334,229.

2 SHEETS-SHE 2.

-23 WITNESSES: f;

*- J ZTTORNEY Patented Mar. 16,1920.

UNITED STA'IES PATENT ()li lllljOE.

NEWTON B. CONVERSE, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

1;. SPEED-INDICATOR FOR AIRSHIPS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 1.6, .1920.

Application filed September 11, 1918. Serial No. 253,668.

I all "1.0 72cm, it may concern:

Be 1t known that I, NEWTON B. Converse, :1 citlzen oi: the United States, residing at San Francisco, in the county of Sun Fran cisco and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Speed indicators for Airships, of which the following is n specification.

The object of the present invention is to provide on improved speed indicator for flying machines.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is :1. plan view of :r portion oi an aeroplane .=howiin my improvement thereon; Fig. is an enlarged vertical sectional view of the device; Fig. 3 is 2L broken side view, certain ports being shown in vertical section of it modification of my device; Fig. 41.-

n. broken rear view of the some.

Referring to the drawing, 1 indicates the body of an aeroplane, on which is mounted, in eposition to be conveniently observed by the aviator, a horizontal gimbel ring 2, rotns tuble in bearings 3, supported upon the Frame of the aeroplane. In this ginibel ring is pivoted, in transversely extending bearings 4t, casino; 5, containing bearings 6 in vertical zilinei'nent with ouch other, in which rotate; a. she-lit of on electric motor, carrying n gyroscope wheel 8 the motor re coiving' its current from any suitable source. To sold gimbel ring are clamped by clumps 9 ti aides oi :r circular glass tube 10 extending in a. vertical plane around the gimbel ring. Sui d tube is filled with mercury to the level oi its center, the mercury thus acting as at substantially frictionless pendulum. lllehind the glass tube is placed a se1ni-cir culur indicator 11 containing :1 graduated scale.

12 indicetes two stops which are placed on opposite sides in the path of a foot lever 13 which controls the lateral steering mechnnisln 14L of the machine. These stops are placed at such points in said path that, when the steering lever contacts with either of the stops and is arrested thereby, it is known that n certein deviation will be produced in the aeroplane, as, for instance, that it will describe it circle with it radius of 500 feet. These positions are determined with regard to any particular aeroplane by actual trial.

The manner in which the device is used is es followsz-When the aviator is flying straight ahead, and wishes to ascertain his actual speed relative to the earth, he steers the aeroplane to one side, in the arc of a circle oi 500 feet radius as determined by the steps 12. The direction of :torce acting upon the mercury will. then be changed from one purely vertical to one compounded oi. the direction of gravity and the direction oi? centrifugal force, which letter is u horizontul direction 't'roi'n the center about which the uvintor is turning. The mercury will then move so that its center of gravity lies in the resultant line of force extendii 7on1 the center of the circular tube. Tl retorc the mercury will rise on one side of the tube and fall on. the other, it being remembered thet the tube and indicator do not clinnge their positions, being prevented by the gyroscope from rot-sting about its fore-:1 id-utt hearings. The height to which the mercury rises in the tube will be a measure of the centrilt'ugul force, and therefore oi the change in momentum of the mercury, end, as this change in momentum varies as the square of the velocity, it will indicate the VGlOCltIy of the mercury and therefore of the aeroplane. The evict-or will, now steer the aeroplane in the other direction througl 1. on are of the some radius. If, during both chenges in direction, the aviator is proceeding at the same velocity, the mercury willv rise in the tube on one side to the some height us it did on the other. But it, owing; to the wind, he is tre'vel'lno at u o ente velocity when making one chainge then when unikinp; the other, he will determine his loeity by taking the average ol these two readings.

My improved speed indicator is also of greet value in enabling the aviator, by nickinp; two turns, first to one side end then to the other, as before explained, to ascertain the direction and force of the wind. These can be determined by colnpering the two readings on melting the two turns with his speed in perfectly celin weather, sccrtemed by noting the number of revolutions of his propeller, which, in calm Wentli er, gives him n known definite velocity.

The stops 12 may be normally out of the way of the loot lever, and may be moved into its path when it is desired to make em observation of the speed, by shifting a rod 16 which moves two levers 17 carrying the steps 12.

To obtain. an accurate reading of the vebeing used.

be used for both speeds, by multiplying the reading on the indicating scale by the quotient of the greater radius by the smaller.

In the modification of the invention shown in Figs. and a, I employ a solid pendulum 21 in the form of an arc of a semi-circle, the center of which are is connected to a radially extending arm 22, the inner end of which is connected to a ring 23, around the inner ring 24, rotatably mounted, by ball-bearings 2%, on a sleeve 27 rigidly secured to the shalt 3 of the gyroscope ring. To said sleeve is secured a T-shaped plate 28, of which the cross piece 29 is connected at its ends to a semicircular tube 31 open at both ends and closed in the middle by a partition 32. Theopen ends of the tube are closel adjacent to the ends of the semi-circular pendulum when the latter-is in its vertical position and said open ends of the tubes are slightly greater than heads'33 on the ends of the pendulum,

u so that the heads can move in'said tube with but slight clearance to allow of the escape of air somewhat slowly, and thus to dampen or steady the oscillations of the pendulum. The lower end of the'central member of said T-shapedrplate carries a stud shaft 34, upon which rotates a gear wheel 36 in mesh with. an-internahsegment wheel 37, secured, shown at 38, to the arm 22, so that the oscillation of said pendulum causes said gear wheel to rotate with an angular velocity greater than that of the pendulum, as much as the radius of the segment gear is greater than that of the gear wheel. Said gear wheelmeshes with a gear wheel 39, rotating loosely'on the shaft 8 and secured to an indicating dial-11, having on its margin two series 42, 43, of graduation marks. one to the right and the other to the lctt,and'indieating numbers, not here shown. i These graduation marks are seen through an open-- ing 44 in the T-shaped plate, and a wire 46 ex't'endsacross said opening to facilitate the observation of the marks.

iThe mode of operation of the latter form of the invention is similar to that of the former and can be readily understood from the description thereof.

It (litters therefrom in that it has a dampening means for stcadying the oscillation of the pendulum and also in that the motion of the indicating scale is enlarged for a given angular motion of the pendulum.

I claim 1. In a speed indi tutor for a moving object, a gyroscope, a pendulum carried thereby, oscillatory about an axis in the direction oi movement, and means for changing the horizontal direction of movement.

In a speed indicator for a moving object, a gyroscope, a pendulum carried thcrcby, oscillatory about an axis in the direction ct' movement, means for changing the horizontal direction oil movement, and means tor indicating the extent of rise of said pendulum due to such change.

In a speed indicator for a moving object, a gyroscope, a pendulum carried thereby, oscillatory about an axis in the direction of movcu'ient, means for changing the horizontal direction of movement through a known angle, and means for indicating the extent of rise of said pendulum due to such change.

at. In a speed indicator tor a moving object, a gyroscope, a pendulum carried there by, oscillatory about an axis in the direction of movement, means for preventing longitudinal movement of the pendulum relative to the gyroscope, and means for changing the horizontal direction movement of the gyroscope and pendulum.

In. a speed indicator for a movin objcct, a gyroscope, a pendulum carried there by, oscillatory about an axis in the direction of movement, means for preventing longitudinal movement of the pendulum relatiw to the gyroscope, means l'or changing the horizontal direction oi movement of the gyroscope and pendulum, and an indicating scale for indicating the rise of said pom dulum.

G. In a speed indicator for a mo'vin object, a gyroscope, a pendulum carried 1; icrcby, osc rlatory about an axis in the direction of movement, means for preventing long-it udinal movement of the pendulum relative in the gyroscope, means for changing the horizontal direction of nmvcn'icnt oi the gyro scope and pendulum through a known angle. and an indicating scale for indicating the rise of said pendulum.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

NEWTON B. CONVERSE.

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